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Comment by cbsks | Hacker News Reader

Will it let me disable web searches from the start menu? That’s currently my biggest gripe with windows 10.

There are a few stack exchange questions about it but the answers are all outdated and don’t work for me.

Search is all kinds of borked, even without that.

I had a file I was working on recently, "vuln2.docx". "vuln2" won't bring it up, but "vuln" will, alongside the other ones I had been working on. WHY?

When I type upd, Windows Update comes first, then I type a, it gets replaced with Dell Update, then I type t, and Windows Update comes back. They are trying to keep us vigilant, I guess...

I have the exact same “problem” on my work PC. I want to find MS SQL Management Studio. Searching for “SQL” brings up nothing, but “manage” will match the app.

I had this just a few minutes ago. I wanted to manage BitLocker. Top result as I type:

B: Manage BitLocker

BI: Manage Bitlocker

BIT: Notepad ?????

AFAIK this is so that you could pick between multiple matches simply by continuing to type.

Why does it not match when I've typed more of the filename?

Then try typinng in "Internet Explorer" .. it stays on Microsoft Edge with a "Recommended" label underneath. I know it's recommended, but I need IE for a specific site... So make a shortcut and put it on the desktop. Slowly the start menu is loosing it's role as it's getting obnoxious.

Install EVERYTHING (awesome windows search software).

Pin it to taskbar.

Rearrange the pinned icon so it's the first.

Now, Windows+1 shortcut key will open Everything.

Everything is awesome for file name searching.

How do people search inside files on Windows?

I use ripgrep on the CLI, as Windows Explorer's in-built search has a cumbersome syntax.

Sometimes though, a GUI is easier.

I use a tool called Agent Ransack for searching for text within files. Works great for git repos / source code.

https://www.mythicsoft.com/agentransack/

Try FileSeek for in-files search. Just point it at a folder and type your query. Supports wildcards and regex

Everything can search inside files too.

It can search files but it doesn't index their content, making the searches very slow.

GrepWin!

> GrepWin!

I have tried GrepWin many times and I can NEVER get it to give the results I want - or expect- when I use it.

Something about the UI and me, they don't click.

AstroGrep!

BareGrep! For live/incremental searches.

Everything is amazing, one of the first things I install on a fresh Windows installation.

Or you can set up some global non-colliding hotkey (e.g. Win+Shift+F) in Everything > Tools > Options > Keyboard > Toggle window hotkey.

I disabled the default system Win+S:

  [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced]
  "DisabledHotkeys"="S" ; Write out EI to disable the shortcut Win+E and Win+I.

then after a restart set Win+S in Everything.

Super, didn't know this

You can still replace the start menu with a more traditional one with OpenShell if you prefer. It has quite a functional simple search but I think it just searches the PATH and start menu entries, not your whole system like the start menu tries to. But I prefer that.

https://github.com/Open-Shell/Open-Shell-Menu

Worst feature in the history of features, maybe ever.

But someone on Bing got a huge bonus from the engagement metrics - so it averages out.

The only thing that works for me in the May 2020 Update is blocking all outgoing connections of SearchApp.exe in the Windows Firewall.

You can disable web search in Group Policy.

You mean the "Don’t search the web or display web results in Search" group policy? It doesn't work for me. Neither does setting the AllowSearchToUseLocation, BingSearchEnabled, and CortanaConsent registry entries in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search to 0 (from https://www.thewindowsclub.com/disable-bing-web-search-resul...)

I've tried everything. I'm considering asking my IT department for Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC (https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/whats-new/ltsc/), but that seems like a huge hassle.

Hmm, weird. I just set up a new machine at home with Windows 10 Pro and it worked just fine. No more web search. Perhaps since you're at work there's something else negating it?

That only works in the "professional" Win10 version, not the "amateur" version that's usually preinstalled.

Ah, right, yeah. Admittedly I never think about Home, as I've just come to accept the quality of life upgrade that comes with Pro (this being one of them), regardless of the machine.

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